All that trash – the ugly side of kayaking in Miami!

Scratching underneath that glossy

Miami surface treatment!

.

Looking good – from a distance! Miami skyline and Biscayne Bay on a nice afternoon. The barge home is no longer there.CLICK for interactive panorama!

.

Miami is known worldwide for it’s natural beauty thanks it’s lush sub-Tropical setting and rich cultural heritage mix. Take for example the beautiful aerial panorama above of the city skyline and a tiny island in Biscayne Bay. That little island has been recently “renovated” with beautiful palm trees and a coral rock shoreline to prevent erosion. It’s right next to the Rickenbacker Causeway bridge and the ol’ Miami Marine Stadium.

Moving around to see the other side, however, things start to look a little bit different. As with many things Miami, we see that outward appearances can be deceiving. That beauty really is only skin deep because underneath the fancy Miami gloss surface treatment are pimples and blemishes made of trash and debris. Much of that trash is in the form of various kinds of plastic bottles, cups and other plastic coated containers/packaging.

.

Clear waters of Biscayne Bay lap the shores of this pretty lil island just offshore.

.

As a kayaker, trash is something I see a lot of for the simple reason that I often stop by and visit little islands, coves and other out of the way places that most power boaters just fly by at high speeds. In a way, I feel like a witness to how our society treats those places deemed less ‘important’ because few people see them. I am not alone in this, as most local paddlers soon discover. Getting out to see nature up close and in-your-face also means facing the remnants and discard streams pouring out of our intense urbanization.

Out of sight, out of mind? For some, and sadly, perhaps for many. It’s a reflection of our times!

This is the rather sad underlying reality of boating in Miami and much of South Florida in general.

.

Put on a Happy Face ? with pimples made of trash – perhaps not! 😦

.

So what can be done?

There are three easy and simple things that anyone and everyone can do.

1. Reduce the amount of plastic bottles and cups you use by buying larger quantities and refilling your re-usable bottles and containers.

2. Remove and recycle superfluous packaging at home and take out only what you will actually use.

3. Simply clean up after yourself and leave no trace!

The last one bears repeating and is the most important:

In other words, pack out all of your trash!!

.

It’s ironic that some of those who leave the most trash behind are also the ones best able to take their trash back out with them. These could be inconsiderate people in power boats and careless shoreline visitors in automobiles. This could also include some land fishermen who are notorious for leaving fishing line, bits of kit and fish guts behind! It’s almost as if these people think that somebody else will come along and clean up after them.

If you had the room to bring out all that stuff to begin with, you also have the room to take all that trash back with you and dispose of it properly!

I’m not singling out just fishermen and boaters per se. There are many conscientious and caring boaters that I know who take great pride in caring about the environment as they enjoy themselves on the water. However, the bad apples have spoiled it, and the overall picture unfortunately doesn’t look very good. In contrast, most kayakers and paddlers simply do not have the room to bring out the same amount of “stuff” and also tend to be more responsible in cleaning up after themselves. Another source of trash is via storm drainage culverts from the city that dump out into the bay. Casual litter and improperly disposed loose garbage are prone being wind blown and washed down into sewers, thereby depositing all that debris into the waters of Biscayne Bay!

.

It gives me no pleasure to post these pictures of Miami!

Normally I post beautiful pictures and panoramas of Miami, the Everglades and the natural beauty of South Florida as I see it. However, this story is a reality check. It’s an attempt to help bring awareness to plastic pollution and marine debris that I witness locally. The problem, of course, is also a global one, and Miami is not unique. The same plague of trash has enveloped cities and coastlines around the world. It is a huge problem!

So between the story images I am including links to pertinent local and international organizations along with related reading you might be interested in. It’s not meant to be an exhaustive list and is in no particular order. My apologies if I’ve left something out, but I think it a good start. Anyway I hope to encourage you to learn more and take part in local waterway cleanups!

.

“July 4th aftermath”. This is over a week later and the trash is still there! I’m also seeing the lion’s face from the Wizard of Oz here .. but this is Biscayne Bay.

Land fishermen get a bad rap because of the bad apples who carelessly leave behind their fishing line and kit! This “yo yo” is a prime example on Biscayne Bay.Dispose of used fishing line and kit properly – marinas often have special disposal bins!

Happy Birthday – is not so happy when this mylar balloon ends up back on earth and then in the water. This is the one type of trash that can be found in the most remote places in the Everglades because this trash can fly!

Trash is a problem anywhere people have easy access to these days! This one from an tree island hammock in the eastern Everglades, ENP.CLICK for story – Grass Paddling in the East Everglades Expansion Area

There’s still a lot of beauty, and nature always regenerates itself.

If we can only keep from choking it!

I’ll finish this story on a positive note, back to the roots:

There’s still a lot of beauty, and nature always regenerates itself – if we can only keep from choking it! South Florida’s walking coastal Mangroves – Roots Paddling, Photography and Dreadlocks!CLICK FOR STORY! 🙂

All rights reserved!

…

DISCLAIMER:: The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!